2.2 Flashcards
cloture rule
Rule 22 of the Senate, providing for the end of debate on a bill if three-fifths of the members agree
Committee of the Whole
germane
These legislators can offer
only germane amendments to a bill, those directly related to the legislation
under consideration.
House Rules Committee
The House Rules Committee is very powerful. It can easily dispose of a
bill or define the guidelines for debate because it acts as a traffic cop to the
House floor. Nothing reaches the floor unless the Rules Committee allows it.
Committee of the Whole
The Committee of the Whole is also unique to the House. It includes but
does not require all representatives. However, the Committee of the Whole
is more of a state of operation in which the House rules are relaxed than an
actual committee. It was created to allow longer debate among fewer people
and to allow members to vote as a group rather than in an individual roll call.
Discharge petition
A modern device that functions as a step toward transparency and
democracy in the House is the discharge petition. The discharge petition can
bring a bill out of a reluctant committee.
filibuster
Senators can propose nongermane amendments. They can add
amendments on any subject they want. Senators also have strategic ways to
use their debate time. For example, they may try to stall or even kill a bill by
speaking for an extremely long time, a tactic known as the filibuster, to block
a nomination or to let the time run out on a deadline for voting on a bill.
hold
measure to stall a bill
unanimous consent
approval of all senators
bill’s sponsor
the member
who introduces it and typically assumes authorship
riders
Additional ideas and programs can become
attached to the original bill. The nongermane amendments, or riders, are
often added to benefit a member’s own agenda or programs or to enhance the political chances of the bill.
omnibus bill
An omnibus bill includes multiple areas of law and/or addresses multiple programs.
christmas tree bill
A long string of riders will earn it the nickname “Christmas Tree bill”
because it often delivers gifts in the form of special projects a legislator can take
home…
pork-barrel spending
One product of these legislative add-ons is pork barrel spending—funds earmarked for specific purposes in a legislator’s district.
logrolling
Another factor affecting lawmaking is logrolling, or trading votes to gain support for a bill. By agreeing to back someone else’s bill, members can secure a vote in return for a bill of their own. “if u vote me ill vote u”
mandatory spending
Mandatory spending is payment required by law, or mandated, for certain programs. These programs include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and other special funds for people in temporary need of help.
deficit
The difference between spending
and revenue, close to a trillion dollars in 2019, is the deficit.
discretionary spending
Discretionary spending is funding that congressional committees debate and decide how to divide up. This spending—about 38 percent of the 2019 budget—pays for everything else not required under mandatory spending.
they like this spending
gridlock
Intensifying partisanship has caused gridlock—the “congestion” of opposing forces that prevents ideas from moving forward—
within each house and between the Congress and the president. nothing gets done
delegate model
However, different lawmakers use differing voting models, or approaches to how they vote. Those members trying to reflect the will of their constituency,
especially in the House, follow the delegate model. “We didn’t send you to Washington to make intelligent decisions,” the angry voter said, “we sent you to represent us.”
substantive
advocating on
behalf of certain groups of constituents
descriptive
advocating not only for the views of constituents but also for the factors that make those
constituents unique, such as geography, occupation, gender, and ethnicity
trustee model
Representatives believe they are entrusted by their constituency to use their best judgment, regardless of how constituents may view an issue.
politico model
The politico model of voting attempts to blend the delegate and trustee models. That is, lawmakers consider a variety of factors and decide their action or vote for whatever political calculations make the most sense to them at
the time, especially when there seems to be little public concern. On matters generating strong public opinion, representatives using the politico model would take those opinions strongly into account.
redistricting
Following the constitutionally required census every ten years, the reshaping of congressional districts based on shifts in population has influenced
congressional behavior.
